Phonograph or the like



Patented Mar. 6i, 1923". e

UNITED :STATES f LOUIS s. xunfrzivrnivm oFBUFFALoa-Nnw Yonxg'lnssIGNon,BY Masiva' ASSIGNMENTS,

To KURTZMANNPHQNOGRAPHcomrmyinc.;orfBUrFALofNEW'yoRK n PHONOGRPH OR THELIKE..

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the countyof.Erieznanyd Stateiof New York, have ,invented anew and useful Improvementin Phonographs or the like,

of which the following is a specificati-on.

.This invention relates to ph.onolgraphsl,'4 gramophones -or analogousdevices of the kind in which soundis produced bymeans 'of va yneedle orstylus and reproducing "mecha-nism, co-operating with a groove on arecord.

It is well known that the materialusedv in the construction of musicalinstruments has an important bearing upon .the (sounds produced and inthe construction of'phonographs a great improvement has been found inthe quality of the tone produced, when the supporting base of theinstrument and the turn-table or other support for the record are madeof certain materials. I have found that the use of glass in aphonograph, for example the use of a glass base on which the driving andcontrolling mechanism is mounted, or a glass turn-table or support forthe record, not only produces clearer and better reproduction of therecord, but also greatly reduces the surface noise or scratching soundsusually produced in instruments 0f this kind.

The objects of this invention are t0 produce a phonograph of this kindin which certain parts of the instrument `are made of glass or the liketo effect a better reproduction of the sound. In the accompanyingdrawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a phonograph or analogous deviceembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof..

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central sectional elevation thereof.

The case or housing of the phonograph may be of any desired shape, thatshown in the drawings have four legs A, on the upper portions of whichthe parts of the phonograph areJ arranged. l p

A base plate B is arranged at the upper portions of the legs and theparts of the phonograph are mounted on this base plate. It has beenfound that the best results can be obtained if this plate is made ofglass. The plate may be secured tothe frame in any Suitable manner, forexample a flanged which is secured 'to the upper ends of tlieflegs A byAsui-table means, such as metal. framed) SPlTOYded in lfheconstru-c'- ytion.l shown,

screwsbf ,andthe edges ofthe frame extend 7 upwardlylaround thesides'lofthe base plate l Band hold the' base in` place.

y I The plateB .I i preferably rests onfyfdisksror cushions b2 of feltor other yielding material. u

AC1 represents the turn-tabley cru-'supporti l for `t-he record. Thislturn-table. is preferably alsomade of glass and therecord c ,of theusuallkind extendingv through the usual central holeinthe record yforcentering the same lon thejturn-table. The turntable maybe rotatablymountedon the glass base B inany suitable mannenw In the Constructies'Shen/111th@ gtes, plate C ffiiming the turn-table is suitably secured toa disk c by any suitable means, such as screws c2 extending throughholes in the glass turn-table G. The disk c is provided with the usualpost or bearing stud c3 which is suitably journaled in a plate c4 whichis secured to the glass base B by any suitable means, such, for example,as screws or bolts c5 'extending through holes in the glass base.Suitable pads `c6 and c7 are preferably inserted betweenthe disk c vandthe glass turn-table C and between the plate c4 and the base B.

The mechanism for rotating the turntable may be of any "suitable ordesired conisuplaced on the upper face-thereof, Lapin struction, and ispreferably mounted on the glass base B. In the construction shown, theturn-table is rotated by means of an electric motor D suitably mountedon the plate c4 secured to the lower face of the base and connected byany desirable driving means (not shown) with the pin or stud c3` of theturn-table. The operation of the motor is controlled by means of aswitch d which is preferably mounted on the upper face of the base B.The speed at which the turn-table is rotated is preferably controlled bymeans of the usual speed controlling means E which are also mounted onthek glass base B. The motor D, the controlling constitute no part ofthis l The sound is reproduced from the record y by meansv ofthe usualreproducer F mounted on a tone arm f whichl is secured to the glass baseB in any suitable manner, forexample by means of screws or bolts fextending through holes in the glass base. rlhe end of the tone armconnects With the usual horn G arranged below the base and suitablysupported from a sounding board or the like H by means of a post h.

The horn and driving mechanism may be enclosed by suitable side Walls l,Which may be ot' any desired material, glass being employee in theconstruction shown.

I have found that by using a glass base as described, and by using aglass turntable C, the sounds produced by the-instru ment 'diiiergreatly in quality 'from those produced in instruments in which the baseB and the turn-table C is made of Wood, metal or other materialsheretofore used. The instrument constructed as described produces agreater volume of tone and also a clearer tone than other instrumentsheretofore made and has the property ot ver7 materially reducing thesurface noises or scratching sounds produced by the needle as the samepasses over the record, so that a more nearly perfect reproduction o thesounds is effected than has heretofore been possible. The noises due tothe operation of the mechanism for driving the turn-table, are 'also`very materially reduced by means of the glass base.

It will be understood that-it is not intended to limit the invention tothe` forni or construction ot the housing or case oit' the phonographnor to the reproducing or operating devices, since the glass base andthe glass turn-'table be used in phonographs or analogous devices of anyother desired construction or Shape, and in connection With otherreproducing or operating devices.

I claim as my invention:

ln a phonograph 'or vthe like, the 'combination ot a rotatablerecordsupporting' 'member, `driving mechranisn'i for rotating saidrecord supporting member, a sound reproducing device, and a glass baseon which said supporting member, Asaid driving mechanism and saidreproducing vdevice are mounted.

Vitness my hand, this 29th day of October, 1918.

LOUlS S. KURTZMANN. litnessesz M. J. PITMAN, F. E. PRooHNoix'f.

